Meritus

Performance evaluation Ciência-IUL Scientific production E-learning

Learning Management System

Documental Management Registration, processing

and archive INSTITUTIONAL

MANAGEMENT Strategic Plan

Monitoring Objectives, Activities and Strategies

Business Intelligence Strategic Analysis(BI)

Repository Preservation, divulgation

and access to scientific production Integrated Library Management System

(Koha)

Illustration 3.3.1.1 - Information and Management Integrated System (SIIG) 3.3.2. Information management and dissemination

Transparency and provision of information to the ISCTE-IUL community, collected in the diverse exis- ting information systems, are an essential element of SIGQ-IUL, as they enable the improvement of effi- cacy in decision-making processes in a perspective of continuous improvement.

Therefore, it is necessary that the updated, wide-ranging and relevant information is, systematically and in a structured manner, made available to the community, fostering the liability of the various actors and an atmosphere of academic transparency, which favours the consolidation of the internal and exter- nal partners’ involvement.

Consequently, ISCTE-IUL’s organizational mechanism provides IT system support regarding the following aspects: data collection, which must be as “friendly” as possible for the various parties involved so as to allow an efficient management of their time and ensure the reliability of the information; data processing; provision and easy access to reports; and other outputs, which are relevant for quality asses- sment and analysis in the various aspects substantiated in the Annual Plan of Activities.

The evaluation of teaching and learning is, for various reasons, the most complex of all aspects of the internal quality assurance system, and, therefore, the system provides an adequate IT support for the information registration and collection as regards:

38

• Data related to the organization and planning of each curricular unit, as well as the results obtained in the CU, which are included in the CUR, mandatorily made available in the information system;

• Opinions from students and faculty members on the functioning of teaching (collected through the various existing surveys);

• Data which are necessary for conducting external evaluations, namely reports and recommendations from course monitoring commissions, or from national or international certifying entities.

The processing, analysis and systematization of information is globally coordinated by GEAPQ, with technical support provided by the SIIC and GDSI, as well as support from those services directly related to the data in question. GEAPQ manages and provides a panel of institutional evolution indicators with figu- res concerning at least the three previous years, so as to keep updated the indicators to support strategic planning, which evidences ISCTE-IUL’s development trends.

According to the practices already in place, all the relevant information is disseminated within the academic community, based on principles of transparency and aiming at their educational effect on the effort of self-regulation and continuous improvement, as well as the promotion of a culture of self- -empowerment and greater commitment participation of all towards the achievement of the APA.

In what regards public information about projects and activities, ISCTE-IUL already has a tradition of annual publication of its activity report, which includes the degree of fulfillment of the objectives and goals defined in the plan.

In this sense, ISCTE-IUL has various means of divulgation that provide information of interest for the specific target audience at whom they are aimed.

ISCTE-IUL’s Internet portal is aimed at the general public and presents information about the institu- tion and its activity, constituting one of the most important ways to advertise the Institution’s training offer (external communication). According to the European standards for quality assurance in education, it is of paramount importance to publish updated, independent and objective information, both quantita- tive and qualitative, about the programmes and degrees offered by the Institution, namely:

• Applications and ordering criteria;

• Programme Goals;

• Study Plans;

• Faculty;

• Scheduling, timetable system and tuition fees;

• Dissertation/project work; Internships and Theses;

• Career Prospects;

• Programme evaluation and registration.

In conformity with those standards, ISCTE-IUL keeps all this information duly up-to-date in its Inter- net page.

Regarding internal communication, ISCTE-IUL has its intranet (MyIscte), which, among various other features, disseminates and communicates the decisions taken at the government and management bodies’ level. MyISCTE also provides the necessary tools for the functional performance of the various types of employees at ISCTE-IUL: faculty staff, researchers and other staff.

39

ISCTE-IUL’s Institutional Repository enables also the dissemination and access to ISCTE-IUL’s intellec- tual production in digital format, being, accordingly, specifically connected with Ciencia-Iul.

Fénix, further to its academic management role, is also a means of dissemination of all the information of academic nature to the current students.

In what concerns scientific production, ISCTE-IUL also makes available, through Ciência-IUL (with public access) a module of statistics with the results of the various outputs made public by the research units, along with the profile of each faculty member/researcher, automatically updated.

3.4. Continuous monitoring, evaluation and improvement of SIGQ-IUL (SIGQ revision)

SIGQ-IUL has various evaluation and continuous improvement mechanisms based on the systema- tic analysis made to the various previously referred reports, and on the suggestions from the elements responsible for the programmes, the pedagogic commissions, school directors and other parties and stakeholders.

The analysis of the fulfillment of the procedures regarding teaching has enabled a substantial impro- vement of the registration time and the thoroughness of information on class activity (summaries, plan- ning, classifications, reports). the implemented mechanism has also enabled the systematic revision and the improvement of the various regulations focused on teaching and research, as well as financial mana- gement and general functioning.

The fact that all ISCTE-IUL programmes have been subject to processes of accreditation by A3ES, which demanded mobilization from almost all faculty members, students and staff, also enabled to iden- tify various aspects that required improvement measures, that, in the meanwhile, have been implemen- ted, beyond having contributed for a greater internalization by the ISCTE-IUL community of the impor- tance and practical value of quality assurance in higher education.

ISCTE-IUL applied SIGQ-IUL for certification with A3ES. The obtainment of this certification provides a higher degree of autonomy to the IES in the processes of evaluation/accreditation of the various study cycles. A3ES accepted the application and the process took place throughout 2014.

In February 2015, A3ES Board of Directors communicated to ISCTE-IUL their decision to accredit SIGQ-IUL over the maximum period allowed − six years −, without any restrictions. This has increased the effort of systematic revision and improvement of procedures, including the first revision of the QM carried out in 2013, and the ongoing revision of various regulations.

Furthermore, as quality assurance is assumed as a strategic aspect in its own statutes, ISCTE-IUL has promoted, on its own initiative, external institutional evaluation by the European University Associa- tion (EUA), in 2012/2013, which demanded a reflection, wide-ranging and extended to the whole ISCTE- -IUL community, on the various areas covered by the Institutional Evaluation Programme, including the identification of improvement measures to implement, some of which were already implemented, and others have been incorporated in the Strategic Plan 2014-2017. The EUA report is available at ISCTE-IUL’s website. In 2016 the follow up evaluation will be carried out by EUA.

40

Still in the scope of this strategy, ISCTE-IUL has been promoting the accreditation of most of its program- mes with international agencies, such as AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA for the management programmes, and EUR-ACE for the engineering programmes. The quality standards required by those agencies have been implemented and evidenced by ISCTE-IUL, which has greatly contributed for the development and impro- vement of SIGQ-IUL. In the case of EUR-ACE, two engineering programmes were certified in 2015, for the maximum period allowed of six years. On their turn, the management programmes have already attai- ned the demanding international standards and will soon be assessed by AACSB’s experts. This process is particularly important, among other reasons, for the relevance it ascribes to learning goals and for the institutional learning its implementation provides, which will be extended, even to to the programmes that do not require such accreditation. In the field of Public Policy, ISCTE-IUL is already a member of the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration (IASIA) which has been implemen- ting a system of international accreditation. In due time, ISCTE-IUL will start application procedures for its Public Policy programmes to that accreditation.

Since 2009, ISCTE-IUL has obtained APCER Certification every year, in the scope of the Standard ISO 9001. In the scope of this process, ISCTE-IUL carries out two audits per year, one internal and the other external. These audits enable the identification of eventual non-conformities and represent opportuni- ties to implement improvements and define new procedures.

In the past 3 years, ISCTE-IUL has had other specialized external audits by official entities, such as the Court of Auditors, the General Inspectorate for Higher Education and the Ministry of Finance, whose reports have generally confirmed the efficiency and compliance with the procedures, and drawn atten- tion to a number of very specific aspects which require improvement, which have systematically been implemented.

In conclusion, the internal process of monitoring, evaluation and improvement of the quality assurance system is dynamised by CGQ. Every year, GEAPQ produces the Report of Revision of SIGQ-IUL, which has the purpose of assessing and reviewing its performance, based on the results of all the audits carried out at ISCTE-IUL and the feedback from the various members of the community. This report also presents the improvement actions considered necessary to ensure the system is maintained adequate and effective. It is the CGQ’s duty to analyze and act on the conclusions of this report. The improvement proposals achie- vable in the short term are submitted to the Rector or to the Management Board. Those improvement measures proposed by the CGQ which are more general in scope, are eventually included in the following year’s APA to be submitted to the General Council.